Home is your safe space and you deserve to be able to truly relax. But when there are constant worries about pests lurking, that can be hard to do.
Unfortunately, New England is home to many pests like cockroaches, spiders, and even rodents. When these pests make their way inside, they can make you feel stressed and unsettled. They can also be destructive and pose health concerns.
In this guide, we’ll dive into everything that you ought to know about home pest prevention so that you can take back control of your home. With safe pest control solutions that work, you’ll finally have peace of mind.
We’ll cover all of the important pest control tips that you need to know, including the following topics.
Table of Contents
What is Pest Control: Basic Principles and Practices
Common House Pests
DIY Pest Control Strategies
Professional Pest Control Services
Home Pest Prevention Tips
Safety and Pest Control: Ensuring a Healthy Home
How to Choose a Pest Control Service
What is Pest Control: Basic Principles and Practices
Pest control is any approach taken to eliminate or prevent pests in spaces that humans occupy. While we know there are billions of insects on the Earth (in fact, scientists estimate there are a billion insects for every human), people don’t want to share their homes with them. The same is true for rodents like mice.
Whether you’re “scared” of pests or you just don’t like them, nobody wants to share their safe space with them…and that’s completely reasonable!
There are different approaches to pest control including the use of quarterly pest control vs. exterminator services. Both of these services have the same goal of eliminating pests, but they take slightly different approaches.
The main difference between pest control and exterminator services is that pest control is primarily focused on the exterior of your home and preventing problems in the first place while extermination is primarily focused on getting rid of an existing problem (or infestation).
Exterminator services can also sometimes deal with pests that a pest control expert might not (like larger rodents or small mammals, such as raccoons, that might have invaded an interior space).
One of the big benefits of using quarterly pest control is preventing an infestation in the first place. The quarterly pest control cost is much less expensive in the long run than paying for an infestation. It can also be difficult to get an infestation under control once it’s started.
In general, investing in pest control is worthwhile not only for peace of mind (which is very important) but also for health concerns. Pests like cockroaches and mice can spread disease and bacteria in your home, making them a legitimate threat.
While many pests are harmless and don’t even tend to bite humans, there’s also always a risk of adverse reactions. Grossly enough, some people turn out to be allergic to pest poo (particularly droppings from pests like rodents or cockroaches).
People who already have problems with allergies or asthma tend to be more prone to danger from pests.
Peace of mind is another important benefit of investing in pest control. People tell us they can finally relax when they feel confident that bugs are being kept away. If you are the type of person who can’t stand the thought of a spider lurking in the bedroom or a silverfish hanging out in your bathroom sink, then investing in professional pest control services makes a lot of sense.
Common House Pests in New England
Unfortunately, here in New England, pests are abundant. These pests often find their way into people’s homes in search of food and shelter. Once inside, they can reproduce and create bigger problems.
Why do pests come inside in the first place? Our weather can be harsh and pests are often looking for a warm place to hang out, particularly during the colder months. Your home probably seems like a dream vacation. It’s a warm, cozy shelter from the outdoor elements.
If pests find what they need there to survive, they’ll be likely to nestle in and stay as long as possible.
In addition to mice, some of the common house pests in the Northeast include the following.
- Ants
- Spiders
- Centipedes
- Millipedes
- German Cockroaches
- Earwigs
- Crickets
- Silverfish
- Pillbugs
- Sowbugs
These are just some of the common household pests that we often see hanging around people’s homes. In general, insects tend to be excellent hiders and don’t want to get caught. Just because you haven’t seen evidence of a pest problem does not mean you don’t have one.
In fact, one report stated that the average home has around 100 different types of bugs inside! The most common household pest tends to be the spider. While people are particularly scared of spiders, most of them are not poisonous. Even so, we know that people don’t want to share their homes with these eight-legged creepy crawlies.
This is why home pest prevention is so important.
DIY Pest Control Strategies
If you’re worried about pests, you’ll find there are numerous solutions out there. There are many pest control products on the market and some homeowners turn to DIY pest control to take matters into their own hands.
However, it’s important to have a conversation about safety. Although store-bought products are less effective than what a professional would use, that doesn’t mean that they come without risk.
Homeowners who are not properly trained on how to deal with pest control products could be putting themselves at risk. You’ll also have to store these chemicals yourself.
Store-bought pest control products are also less effective, meaning you could still have lots of pests lurking. This might leave you wondering how protected you really are.
In addition to products sold in the store, there are also plenty of homemade concoctions you can find online. People who are worried about safe pest control are often in search of these types of solutions.
As an example, vinegar is said to repel pests so homeowners might try to spritz an area of their home with vinegar. But vinegar is only going to work for a short amount of time so it’s not a long-term solution. It also has an undesirable smell and can burn the skin and eyes if touched directly. So, it’s certainly not as though even DIY solutions are entirely without risk.
There’s no harm in trying DIY solutions if you implement them with safety in mind. However, we have not encountered any DIY pest control approaches that work well enough for us to recommend them. If you are truly looking for the most effective solution, you’ll want to consider professional pest control services.
However, there are certainly some home pest prevention strategies that fall into the DIY realm, which we would recommend. We’ll cover these thoroughly in that section but things you can do yourself like sealing cracks and vacuuming up crumbs can make a difference in reducing the number of pests in your home.
Professional Pest Control Services
Professional pest control involves exterior home treatments aimed at keeping pests out of the home in the first place as well as periodic interior inspections and treatment. With a professional program, you can inspect high-quality, commercial-grade products to be used that will be effective at keeping pests away.
At Seacoast Turf Care, our quarterly pest control program also includes minor rodent exclusion as needed, spider web removal (up to 15 feet), and service calls as needed.
How much does pest control cost?
If you are considering investing in professional services, you might be wondering about the cost.
At Seacoast Turf Care, three pest control programs are available at different price levels.
- The bronze program covers common household pests and starts at $49 a month.
- The silver program covers those same pests plus tick control and starts at $69 a month.
- The gold program covers common household pests, tick control, and mosquito control and starts at $99 a month.
At the end of the day, when considering the cost of pest control, you have to consider your peace of mind. Many homeowners feel that the peace of mind they gain from not having to worry about pests is worth that investment.
Home Pest Prevention Tips
There are certainly some steps that you can take on your own to prevent pests in your home. Even if you are investing in professional pest services, you’ll still want to make an effort to prevent pests with some of these additional recommendations.
When used in conjunction with professional pest control services, you increase your chances of keeping pests out.
Seek out and shut down entry points: It always makes sense to seal up entry points that pests might be coming in through in the first place. Tears in screens, cracks in the foundation, and other small entry points are all possible spots that should be fixed or sealed if possible. Of course, many insects are small and can squish their bodies through teeny-tiny spaces so this is not entirely foolproof. But making an effort to shut down as many entry points as possible can make a difference.
Clear food debris: Cleaning up crumbs and food debris can also make a difference as pests are commonly in search of a meal. Make sure that you are vacuuming regularly and wiping up crumbs left on the counters. Keep food put away in sealed containers. Also pay special attention to pet food, which is often left deliberately on the floor.
Declutter the house: Pests love to hide so if you have a lot of clutter on your floors, this is likely to become a hiding space. Bugs are rarely out in the open, other than when they’re scurrying from one hiding spot to the next. One way to address these pests is to declutter and eliminate their hiding spots. This is particularly true for bugs hiding in your basement.
Eliminate moisture: A lot of bugs prefer a moist environment. This is a key reason why they tend to gravitate toward basements and bathrooms. Taking steps to keep these areas dry with waterproofing and/or a dehumidifier can help. As a bonus, you’ll also prevent water damage. In addition, if you have leaky pipes or faucets, these can also be bug attractors. Fix up any area where water leaks out.
Check packages before bringing them inside: Another common way that pests make their way inside is via packages. Cockroaches, for instance, love cardboard! Believe it or not, they actually eat the fibers in the cardboard for food. And a package can provide shelter for them. Before bringing any package inside, inspect it to ensure you aren’t bringing a pest inside with it.
Pay special attention to “border” location: Areas that border pests’ natural habitat outdoors are natural gateways to them finding their way into your home. Pay special attention to areas like garages and sheds that are close to or attached to your home. These areas can provide shelter for pests and they may soon wander even further inside. If you store pet food in the garage, clean up spills and keep it in sealed containers.
Mind your garbage: The garbage is also a common pest attractor. Your trash (particularly food trash) is likely attracting bugs. Try to avoid keeping your cans too close to your home. And make sure that you keep your lid on your cans.
Maintain a tidy landscape: Since pests start outside of the home and make their way in, eliminating some of their entry points can help. Keep landscaping around your home trimmed and tidy. Pay special attention to branches that touch your home and trim these back. You might be providing a “bridge” to your house.
Clean up the foundation: Pay special attention to any landscaping around the foundation of your home as this is an area where many pests are living. Lots of leaves left lying in plant beds become the ideal hang-out spot for pests right before coming inside. In general, making sure that you clean up leaves can help keep pests out of your yard. Pests love leaf cover as they can hide under it and take shelter from the weather.
While tips like these can make a big difference in pest prevention, pests are elusive and adaptable. That’s why you also want to make sure that you are investing in professional pest control services as well. Pests will find their way in through the tiniest crack or eat the tiniest crumb that you might have missed.
It’s a myth that pests only go after “dirty” homes. Pests are opportunistic and despite your best efforts, many will still find a way.
Safety and Pest Control: Ensuring a Healthy Home
We understand that safety is one of your primary concerns. In fact, safety is one of the reasons why people choose to invest in pest control in the first place.
While many pests do not pose a threat to human harm, this is not true for all of them.
Cockroaches are associated with carrying bacteria including salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus. Ingested bacteria can survive in the roach’s digestive system and then are passed in its droppings. This can put your family at risk if you have a roach infestation.
Mice can also carry harmful diseases including typhus, hantavirus, and even the plague! Mice are some of the dirtiest pests to infest homes. They poop frequently and potentially spread disease this way.
As we mentioned, people are also sometimes allergic to pests or their droppings.
Sometimes people are allergic to various pests’ venom (such as a bite from a spider or a centipede). But people can also be allergic to rodents, like mice. Mouse allergens can lead to asthma and hay fever. People are sometimes allergic to the allergens in mice urine or its dander.
Of course, in solving one problem, you don’t want to create another. In other words, you want to make sure that you are investing in safe pest control.
As we mentioned earlier, investing in professional pest control services is sometimes safer than DIY pest control as you’re getting access to a well-trained professional who knows exactly how to apply products.
How to Choose a Pest Control Service
Any time that you are looking to hire a service, it makes sense to do your research. As you search for professional pest control services here in the Seacoast region, you’ll find that there are multiple options.
Start by looking at each company’s website and getting a sense of what kind of experience they have and what they offer.
You can also ask a pest control service questions such as these:
- What pest control services do you offer? There are going to be different types of pest control available. As we talked about previously, there are exterminator vs. pest control services. But there are also some companies that don’t go inside your home at all. Those interior treatments, as needed, can be vital when it comes to truly protecting your home.
- What pests do you address? Make sure that you find out what pests are covered with the program that you’re considering. There are many pest control companies that do not address rodents at all. You also want to make sure that pest control covers cockroaches and stinging insects that might have found their way inside.
- Who performs your pest control services? When choosing a pest control company, you also want to know who is going to be doing the work. It’s important that you’re working with a company that values expertise in the pest control field.
We commend you for wanting to choose wisely when it comes to investing in pest control. Your research will help you feel more confident in your buying decision.
Choosing Pest Control Services in Southern New Hampshire, Northeastern Massachusetts, and Southern Maine
Your wise choice in pest control services means that you’ll be able to truly relax when spending time at home. You won’t have to constantly worry about what pests might be lurking.
The research that you put in ahead of time will pay off. By choosing wisely you’ll ensure that you receive the services that you expect and avoid some of the horror stories you might be fretting about—such as investing in pest control only to wind up with an infestation because it didn’t work. Or, overpaying for a bunch of extra services that you didn’t really need.
At Seacoast Turf Care, serving New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine, our pest control services cover most of the common household pests. It also covers mice.
With effective, quarterly treatments, you can keep many pests out of your home. This is important as sometimes a simple bug problem can become a full-blown infestation if given the chance. Certain pests, like German Cockroaches (as an example), can breed quickly and become a major problem if given the opportunity.
If you truly want peace of mind that you’re keeping pests away, investing in professional pest control is a wise choice. By taking the right steps, you’ll be able to get back to enjoying life as usual.
Want to learn more about how pest control services can protect your family and give you peace of mind? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get pest control pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property.
Image Source: ants, cockroach, basement, cardboard box, caulking, mouse traps, mouse, sneeze, spider
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